Landmine
by MakeMeFree
Summary: Nobody knew Natsu held so much anger within him. He's like a landmine; ready to go off at any second if someone takes a wrong step. Gray is worried, and wants to help his friend. Gray X Natsu [Yaoi] bad summary, sorry. This story is based off the song Landmine by Three Days Grace ( I do not own ) Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

It's Only A Matter Of Time

The guild was its regular bustle of activity; people eating and drinking, chatting, and looking at the request board. Gray and Lucy sat at a table, enjoying a day off with Erza as well. Gray sipped at his water, listening to the girls speak to one another about magic and more feminine topics like hair. The ice wizard grinned at how girly Erza could be, finding it secretly amusing since she was such a masculine woman. The redhead sat up straighter suddenly, brown eyes scanning the room.

"What's the matter Erza?" Gray asked, Lucy giving the older woman a curious look as well.

"Where is Natsu?" she asked, glancing at Gray and Lucy in turn. Lucy looked around the guild hall, brows furrowing as she could not spot her loud mouth friend anywhere.

"The idiot probably got lost or something." Gray snorted, drinking more of his water.

"It's not like him to not be here. Should we look for him?" Lucy asked, eyes worried. Gray sighed when Erza nodded, standing up and stretching his arms above his head.

"Gray, your clothes!" Kana shouted from the bar. With a slew of curses, Gray quickly redressed, making Lucy and Erza laugh softly. The three headed out of the hall, walking down the street toward the forest that their pink haired friend loved to wander in. As soon as they walked passed the first few trees, they could see a few wisps of smoke, signaling that Natsu was, in fact, nearby. They continued walking until they reached a small clearing, where they saw their friend laying on the ground, asleep. Happy was curled up under a tree a couple meters away, also asleep. Lucy quietly ran over looking down at Natsu. As he slept, smoke was coming from his mouth and his nose, drifting through the forest.

Gray stayed a short distance away, watching Erza also walk to Natsu and gaze down at him.

"Natsu?" the redhead asked loudly, causing the sleeping boy to flinch and open his eyes. The smoke clear and Natsu sat up abruptly.

"What? Can't a guy sleep around here without getting yelled at?" he demanded, rubbing his eyes and yawning.

"Why weren't you at the guild?" Lucy asked, watching Natsu stand up and walk toward Happy. The blue cat yawned and opened his eyes as Natsu picked him up, cradling him in his arms. The fire wizard shrugged and turned to look at his friends. They were all quiet for a long moment before Erza spoke.

"We are going back to the guild, you should come." She said before turning, and walking away. Lucy smiled hopefully at Natsu, reaching to grab his arm and pull him with them. As soon as her hand touched Natsu's arm, she jerked it back, gasping.

"Natsu! Why are you so hot?" she asked, shaking her burning hand. Happy leapt from Natsu's arms and onto Lucy's head, sitting there happily. The dragon slayer shrugged, crossing his arms and staring at Lucy until she sighed and walked away toward where Erza had gone. Gray was left, looking at his friend.

"You coming?" he asked, his voice cool. Natsu's demeanor relaxed slightly, his face softening slightly.

"Yeah," he replied, dropping his arms and walking toward Gray. The boys walked together, silently.

 _Something is off about him._ Gray thought, casting a sideways glance at his friend. Natsu seemed tired, but only physically. As if he had not slept in a few days. But his eyes, they were different. Gray couldn't exactly place it, but there was definitely something strange.

/

They had only been back at the guild hall for ten minutes when things started going out of control. Erza had made an off-handed comment about something, probably fire, which sparked something in Natsu. Now, they both stood in the middle of the guild hall, anger prevalent in Natsu's eyes.

"Why do you have to act like you know everything?" the boy spat, glaring at the S-class wizard in front of him. The rest of the guild had fallen silent, watching the two. Gray felt a twinge of fear, not at Natsu's anger, but at the possibility of a fight. Regardless of what he would say aloud, Gray never really liked seeing Natsu hurt.

"Will you shut up, you stupid child." Erza lifted her hand. In a second, Erza moved to slap Natsu across the face, but felt something catch her arm. Everyone gasped as Natsu held onto her wrist, his eyes glaring into hers. Erza looked stunned, genuinely surprised at Natsu's speed, and the fact that this had never happened before. The fire wizard gripped Erza's wrist tighter, and the sound of cracking metal from her causal armor seemed to reverberate through the hall. Natsu's voice came out as a growl, a language that was unknown to anyone else in the guild. He spat few words of the dragon language before giving Erza's armor one final squeeze, and feeling it break fully in his hands. Throwing fragments of metal onto the ground, Natsu turned and walked out of the hall.

Not a word was spoken as everyone stared at Erza. Her face, usually composed and serious, was overtaken by fear.

/

Gray lay in his bed that night, finding that his thoughts often drifted to Natsu. Was he okay? What had happened at the guild? How in the world did he scare Erza? Gray sighed, rolling onto his side and staring at the wall. Gray closed his eyes, wondering and thinking until he fell asleep.

 _It's only a matter of time…before he snaps._


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** _Hey everyone! I am so sorry for being away for so long! I moved just before Christmas and got my internet back like the other day. So, now that I have my internet, I shall be updating once again! I really hope you all enjoy what I continue to write. Thank you for all of your patience! Enjoy!_

 _-Katie_

Chapter Two  
 **It Keeps Getting Stronger**

Gray walked down the street, hands in his pockets, and looking at the sky. It looked like it would rain today, as dark clouds slowly began to clutter the sky. The streets were quiet today, which was likely because of the impending rain. Gray could see the guild hall, standing proudly above the other buildings around it. Even it seemed to be rather quiet today, which was extremely unusual. As he neared the hall, it was still quiet. Something was wrong.  
Entering the building, Gray was met with a strange scene; Natsu was sitting at a table, far from everyone else, and alone. Nobody sat with him, not even Happy. Gray assumed that it was quiet because the loudmouth wasn't speaking. He was simply sitting at that lone table, not moving and not making a sound. Gray glanced over at Lucy, who had looked up from her conversation with Levy and Erza to look at the ice wizard. She waved and motioned for him to come over. Throwing a quick look at Natsu, he frowned and headed to the table where the girls sat.  
"Hey, Gray." Lucy greeted with a smile.  
"Hey. Why is Natsu over there?" he asked bluntly, looking at each girl individually. Lucy glanced over at the redhead, eyes sad.  
"We don't know. I think he's upset about what happened with Erza the other day." Levy said quietly, tucking some of her blue hair behind her ear. Gray turned to look at his friend again, noticing that he was doing something with his hands. It appeared as though he was scratching his hands, in small movements as to not be noticeable, but Natsu would cringe every now and then, as if it hurt. Gray stood up, not saying a word before walking over to where the fire wizard sat. He sat next to Natsu, blocking him from the view of the other members of Fairy Tail.  
"Hey, Natsu." He said quietly, looking at him. Gray sat straddling the bench, facing Natsu fully. The redhead stiffened slightly, turning his head to look at Gray. The black haired boy felt his heart drop a bit at Natsu's eyes; they were nearly lifeless. There was no real emotion in his face, just a strange numbness. However, when their eyes met, Gray could've sworn he saw a small flicker of happiness and comfort in Natsu's eyes.  
"Hey," the fire wizard replied, his voice quiet. Gray looked down at Natsu's hands, frowning. His hands were raw and some parts were beginning to bleed as Natsu scratched them. Skin was peeling in other places, leaving the skin beneath looking red and painful. Gray reached to his friends hands, lightly touching them. They felt rough and dry, and almost scaly. But that did not stop Gray from holding them in place.  
"Stop that," he said sternly. Almost immediately, Natsu stopped. Gray then noticed how hot the other's hands were, hot enough for steam to be emitted from their touching hands. Gray and Natsu locked eyes, staring at one another for a long moment. Natsu turned his hand, palm up, in Gray's. The ice wizard was thankful that his body was blocking the stares he could feel from the others, especially now that Natsu was holding his hand gently.  
"Gray, I don't feel right." Natsu mumbled, his hands shaking lightly. Gray put his other hand on top of the hand Natsu was holding his with.  
"What do you mean?" Gray asked, his usual serious tone softening. Natsu shrugged slightly, looking down at their hands. There was silence now between them, blending with the silence that had befallen the room as Gray sat with Natsu.  
"Why don't you come sit with us?" Gray's voice was a soft murmur, only audible to his friend. Natsu shifted a bit to peer over Gray's shoulder at his friends. Erza looked away, and Levy smiled uncomfortably. Lucy gave a small wave, but her eyes held apprehension. They didn't want him near them. They were afraid of him. Natsu looked at Gray, eyes becoming misty with tears. The ice wizard raised his eyebrows, unsure of what to do. Abruptly, Natsu stood up and walked away, walking out of the guild hall. Silent eyes followed him as he left, Gray noticing the slightest tremble in the other's shoulders.

/

Natsu sat in his favorite clearing in the forest. It was raining, but he did not feel the cold water, as it merely evaporated instantly from his skin. He was so hot, but it wasn't bad. It was different, like his fire wanted to become one with the entirety of his body. The sadness he had felt at the guild was gone, being replaced by a twinge of anger. He frowned, and eventually scowled. Laying on his back in the wet grass, Natsu let his mind race.  
 _They don't understand how I feel. They could never understand. There's so much shit, and nobody gets it. I don't know what to do. They're afraid of me, but why should I care? I don't care if they like me. I'm different, and they probably hate it._

 _/_

Natsu sat up in the grass, hugging his knees to his chest and resting his forehead on his knees. He was angry, but he couldn't understand why. He had never felt like this toward his friends, only toward those who insult his friends and guild. So many thoughts raced around the dragon slayer's mind, and so many emotions; anger, sadness, disgust, hate, loneliness. Thunder rolled heavily in the sky, and lightning illuminated the clearing in which he sat. However, he did not move. He wasn't afraid. He didn't care. All he wanted, was to understand.

Tears ran down his cheeks, the streams of water literally boiling and evaporating on his face. Frustration seeped into Natsu's mind, and he cried. He had no idea what to do.

/

Gray stared out at the rain, ignoring the conversations that were carrying on around him. He listened to the thunder, and watched the lightning in the sky. The clouds looked black, and angry as the rain pelted the ground. Frowning, Gray turned to the rest of the guild, raising his voice.

"Are we just going to let our friend sit out in the rain like this?" he demanded, slamming his fist on the table as he stood up. Everybody looked at the young wizard, silent.

"He's our friend, he's part of our family! And we are just going to let him sit out in this?" he motioned his hand toward the window, pointing at the terrible weather.

"If he did not want to go out in the rain, he would have stayed." Erza said shortly. Gray locked eyes with the redhead that sat across from him, his eyes narrowed.

"He would have stayed if you all had not been avoiding him. If he's really your friend, then you should look for him. Tell him everything is okay, because something is wrong with him. But maybe, Erza, you are to blinded by embarrassment that he defeated you that you don't want to care about him." Gray shot back at her, earning a collective gasp from the rest of the room. Erza stared at Gray with wide eyes, at a loss for words.

"I'm going to find him. If anyone else is coming, I'm going now." The boy turned and headed for the door of the guildhall, stopping in surprise when he heard a few footsteps behind him. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Lucy, Happy, Kana, Levy, Makao, and surprisingly, Erza. Smiling just a bit, Gray exited the guild with his small group, leading them through the rain to where he knew Natsu would be; the forest.

/

Steam entwined with smoke rose from the forest from where Natsu sat. Tears still slid down his face, but now a seething anger had overtaken his emotions. Standing, his fire slowly swirled around his body, and as he walked, it began to set even the most rain covered trees and plants on fire.

 _This feeling…it's getting stronger. I don't know how much longer I can keep it away from everyone._ Natsu looked up at the sky, seeing blue through the rain clouds and smoke he was emitted. The sun was coming out, but around him, the forest was still burning.

 _Gray…thank you for caring._ The fire wizard walked deeper into the forest, his thoughts ceasing as he left a trail of fiery devastation behind him. He had to get away. He needed to leave.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

 **Waiting to Explode**

"Natsu!" Lucy shouted, cupping her hands around her mouth. Similar shouts from Levy and Makao echoed through the beginning of the forest, vanishing off into the ceasing rain. The sun was peeking out now from the grey storm clouds, making this part of the forest appear to sparkle. Happy flew around the tops of the trees, keeping his eyes open for his best friend.

"You see anything Happy?" Gray yelled up to the cat. Happy was about to say no, until he gasped and pointed his paw straight ahead.

"Aye! There's a lot of smoke over there!" he shouted back, flying back down to the others. The group shared a glance for a moment, some eyes fearful while others held concern. Nodding collectively, the Fairy Tail wizards ran in the direction Happy had pointed them in. As they trekked deeper into the trees, they began to see charred plants, and some burnt trees. It started off at a small number, thought steadily increased until the forest became hot.

"Fire!" Kana announced, stopping in her tracks as the group was met with trees and plants that were, in fact, on fire. Gray felt his heart begin to pound, and a nervous fear rose up in him.

"Natsu!" he yelled into the flames, praying his friend would answer. From a fair distance away, Gray saw something move; a figure that appeared dark against the flames.

"Ice Make: Ice Geyser!" Gray cast his ice magic, though not aiming for the figure. He aimed his ice at the fire, hearing it sizzle and crack as fire met ice. Slowly, the brilliant flames died down, until only a few small embers were left. Mist from the heated ice surrounded the group and the forest, making it difficult to see. Squinting, Gray looked ahead at the figure that had been standing before them. All he needed to see was pink hair before he sprinted toward it, wanting to get to Natsu as quickly as he could. The dragon slayer stood still, staring through his flames at the group of wizards before him. The mist subsided and there Natsu stood, encircled lightly by flames.

He breathed heavily, low growling sounds coming from his chest with each exhalation. His eyes were golden and fiery, animalistic anger clouding them. Scale patterns overtook most of his face, traveling down his neck and chest, as well as onto his arms, and his legs. The fire around him grew hotter and darker, emitting a much higher level of magic energy than normal.

"Natsu, you need to calm down!" Lucy yelled, cupping her hands around her mouth to make her nervous voice sound bigger. Natsu either did not hear her, or did not care to listen, as he raised a hand up. Fire began collecting in his palm, forming a very large fire ball. He moved, as if preparing to fling it at his friend. Gray moved immediately between the fire wizard and his friends, positioning himself to make an ice shield the second that fire left Natsu's hand. Before the pink haired boy could throw the fire, he froze. Every muscle in his body seemed to stop, as it time itself had stopped.

The fire in his hand weakened, and eventually vanished, as he stared straight passed his friends. Confusion set in as the rest of the Fairy Tail wizards turned to see what Natsu had become preoccupied with. Gray relaxed in his stance, looking behind him as well to see what had made Natsu stop.

Gajeel was walking toward them, his face straight and calm, and his body relaxed. He did not seem to fear anything that was going on, and was not fazed by the fear and uncertainty emanating from the other wizards. He did not acknowledge them as he walked, simply went passed them and right up to Natsu.

"Gajeel, use caution." Erza warned. The metal dragon slayer snorted and waved his hand, dismissing any of their warnings. Natsu stared straight into Gajeel's eyes for a very long time, before taking a step toward him. The whole group tensed, readying themselves to either defend against or assist in a battle of dragon slayers. Gajeel leaned his head forward, until his forehead and the others' were touching. The black haired man's metal dragon scales encompassed his body, and the two closed their eyes. The others watched, utterly confused. After a few moments of quiet, Natsu began to breathe normally, and his fire subsided. A strong, heavy magic descended upon what seemed like the entire forest.

"I feel like it's hard to breathe," Makao whispered, earning nods from Kana and Levy. In unison, both dragon slayer's scales vanished, and the air lightened.

" _Kogaan, Gajeel. Zu'u los krosis*_." Natsu said, his voice slightly deeper. The fire dragon slayer's eyes closed, and his body limply fell against Gajeel's.

" _Praan nu, Natsu*_." Gajeel said quietly. He turned, picking Natsu up in his arms, bridal style.

"Gajeel, what is going on?" Erza demanded. The man rolled his eyes and handed Natsu carefully to Gray, who held his friend tightly. Natsu's skin was cool, which was incredibly abnormal for him.

"I'll tell you later. Just get him back to the guild." Gajeel replied, staring at everyone. " _Now_!" he demanded, as no one had moved the first time. The group shared a look of concern before turning and quickly heading back to the guild. Gray carried Natsu, Gajeel staying close by, though lagging back a bit.

"Gray." Gajeel said, now catching up a more.

"What?" Gray looked at him as they walked, nearing the entrance to the forest. Gajeel's red eyes bore into Gray's, and they walked that way for a long moment.

"When he wakes up, you need to be the first one he sees. And then you need to find me." He instructed. The ice wizard looked quizzically down at Natsu, and then back at Gajeel.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because, there are things about him that nobody knows. Dragon slayers are as close as you can get to dragons, presently. And Natsu is the most closely connected to his 'dragon side,' I guess. Anyway, this is really important so just don't mess it up." The metal dragon slayer replied. Gray turned to the other man with a final question.

"What language were you two speaking?"

"Dragon. Not many dragon slayers know it, but we both do. That's why it took him so long to learn how to read human words." Gajeel replied. Gray looked back at his friend. Natsu's face was hollow, and his body seemed exhausted. Sadness tugged at Gray's heart. He needed to know what was wrong with Natsu, and he needed to fix it.

/

 _A/N: Hey guys! So, as you can see, Gajeel and Natsu speak a dragon language. I know that in Fairy Tail, this doesn't happen so I am using a Skyrim translator. Natsu says "Thank you, Gajeel. I am sorry." and Gajeel replied "Rest now, Natsu." I will be using this in future chapters, and I will always provide translations at the end, like this._

 _-Katie_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

 **Danger to Everyone Else**

Gray sat in the infirmary room, his chair pulled up beside the bed in which Natsu slept. The pink haired boy looks distraught, even in sleep. Gray frowned, watching Natsu closely as his chest rose and fell steadily and deeply. Since they had gotten back to the guild, Gray had tried to figure out why Gajeel insisted he be the first Natsu sees. Why was he so special? With a sigh, Gray sat back in hi chair and crossed his arms. They had been back for two hours, and nothing new had happened.

The black haired boy was about to get up to stretch when Natsu's expression abruptly turned to one of pain, before his eyes quickly opened. He groaned, raising an arm and laying it over his eyes. Gray smiled slightly, recognizing this body language from the Natsu he knows; he's tired and his head hurts. Gray concluded this easily, watching the other. Natsu suddenly sat up, sniffing slightly before turning to look at Gray.

"Gray?" He asked, confused.

"What's up, pinky?" Gray grinned, crossing his legs. Natsu's eyes shifting through what could've been a million small emotions, before settling on relief. Natsu smiled a little, looking down at his hands in his lap, as if embarrassed.

"I'm going to find Gajeel," Gray announced, after watching Natsu for a few moments. At this comment, Natsu began to rub his hands together, and lightly scratch at them. He nodded though, and watched Gray leave the room. It was only a few minutes before Gray re-entered the room, being followed by not only Gajeel, but also Lucy, Happy, Erza, and Gramps.

"Now, Gajeel and Natsu, explain what is going on." Erza immediately demanded, hands on her hips. Gajeel stared at her, unfazed by her bluntness. Natsu, however, bunched his hands into fists, staring down at them quietly.

"Now Erza, don't be so demanding. They will surely explain." Gramps said more gently, looking at Natsu with concern. Gramps turned to Natsu, his voice calm as his spoke.

" _Dreh hi mindok fin komyet?_ " He asked. Everyone in the room shared a confused looked, then glancing at Natsu as he slowly shrugged his shoulders. Gabriel frowned, moving to sit in the chair that Gray had occupied before. Natsu turned to face him, his legs hanging over the edge of the bed. He only wore sweatpants, which was very different from his usual attire. Gray found it hard to divert his eyes from Natsu's body, looking at each curve of his toned muscles. Blushing lightly, he tore his eyes away, looking back at Gajeel.

" _Fen nust mindok ol pruzah?_ " Natsu's voice was quiet and nervous, looking over at his friends briefly, eyes locking with Gray's before turning back to Gajeel.

"Some of it." Gajeel replied.

"What are you saying?!" Happy asked loudly and dramatically, earning a small laugh from Natsu.

"What's happening?" Lucy spoke up, arms crossed in front of her chest, eyes confused. Gramps quieted everyone with a raised hand, nodding to Gajeel to continue what they were doing. Natsu took in a deep breath, looking at his fellow dragon slayer's eyes. There was softness there now, very unusual for the typically uncaring man. The metal dragon slayer places his hands, palms up, on Natsu's knees, and Natsu place his hands palms down in Gajeel's. Leaning toward each other, Gray tensed when he thought this would result in a kiss. About to protest, he quieted when the saw them simply touched their foreheads together and closed their eyes. In a mass of magic energy, both men's scales covered their bodies, Natsu's covering further than before, now on his stomach as well. There was silence for a long time before something happened. Natsu's face changed from an odd peacefulness to one of pain, tears began to trail lightly down his cheeks. The others shared a quizzical look.

"Gajeel, what is going on?" Gramps asked. Without movement from the dragon slayers, a transparent screen of light magic came together in front of them. On the screen, they could see what they assumed Natsu and Gajeel were sharing, as well as hear.

/On the screen/

"Don't tell them..." a deep voice whispered.

"Don't tell them..." a higher voice said softly.

"Secret, secret, secret," a dual pitched voice sang. Gajeel stood in a vast nothingness, surrounded by darkness. The only other thing that could be seen was Natsu, standing across from Gajeel.

"Tell me." He demanded, though gently. Natsu shook his head, tears in his eyes.

"They'll hate me," He replied, looking at the ground, hands in fists.

"Hate you, hate you." the higher voice sang.

"Despicable child." The deeper voice growled. Gajeel took a step toward Natsu, and as he did, the nothingness changed into a scene; a small house where a young, pink haired boy sat on the floor and played with a toy. Gajeel watched the young Natsu, and also looked up at the current one. The scene began to play out, and they watched quietly.

"Natsu, honey! Come on outside!" A woman's voice called. The boy smiled wide and got up, running to the door and going outside. A beautiful woman stood in the yard, her hair long and pink, the same color as Natsu's. A man was beside her, his arm around her waist lovingly.

"Mom, dad..." the current Natsu whispered. Gajeel watched as he reached out a hand, a longing to touch them evident in his eyes. Suddenly then, the scene changed to one of mass chaos. Fire billowed from the house, and the yard was blazing. There were distant screams of agony and fear as the fire grew bigger. Sitting on the front steps to the small house, the child Natsu hugged his knees to his chest. He was crying, and shaking. The scene panned to what the child was staring at, and suddenly his is immense sadness and anger became clear.

Two grotesque figures lay on the ground, charred beyond recognition and beginning to fall apart into ashes. Gajeel looked up at the Natsu he knows, looking at his face carefully. He looked utterly broken, tears running down his face uncontrollably, and violent anger in his eyes.

"You're disgusting!" the dual pitched voice shouted.

"Everyone will hate you!" The higher one added.

"Alone forever. No one will love you." The deeper one said slowly. The scene vanished and Natsu held his head in his hands.

"Shut up!" He shouted. The three voices repeated themselves, and Natsu began to breath raggedly.

"Go away!" He screamed, fire erupting from all around him. Gajeel backed away, his eyes betraying him as he felt honestly afraid.

/Screen breaks and vanishes/

The room was absolutely silent. Gajeel and Natsu moved away from each other, their scales vanishing. Natsu looked unexplainable angry, and upset, and afraid. He was shaking, but was trying to keep his fire inside.

"Natsu, what happened to your parents?" Gramps asked softly, stepping forward and placing his small hand gently on Natsu's leg.

"Z _u'u kriaan niin_ ," He mumbled through tears. The old man turned to Gajeel, not understanding the language. Gajeel felt Natsu hold his hands, squeezing them tightly as he waited for Gajeel to translate.

"He, uh..." He looked at Natsu, and then at the group, keeping his eyes on Gray.

"He killed them."

/

A/N: Translations:

Gajeel: Do you know the issue?

Natsu: Will they know too?

Natsu: I killed them


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Helloooo! So, starting in this chapter I am introducing new characters that are not in the anime. Their relationships and whatnot will be shown as the story goes on, so I hope no one gets confused about who these random characters are! Try to bear with me on them, they might be a little hard to understand at first!

Enjoy!

/

Chapter Five

 **I'm Ready to Go**

The room was silent and tense, no one moved and no one spoke. The moment after Gajeel translated, Natsu had jumped to his feet and sprinted to the window. Gray watched as he leapt out, and sprinted toward the forest at full speed. For a brief second, Gray thought he saw something on Natsu's back, but it was probably just a shadow from the sunlight. Gajeel sighed and stood up, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I don't believe it." Makarov said calmly.

"I find it difficult to believe as well, Master. Natsu definitely does not fit the type of person who would do such a thing." Erza agreed, a sadness in her eyes. Makarov turned to the rest of the group, his eyes completely serious.

"You misunderstand me, Erza. I don't believe it, because he didn't actually do it," He clarified, voice careful as he explained.

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked, clearly confused. Everyone looked at the master, waiting for his response. He was thinking, staring hard at the floor.

"When he returned here with you guys, I sensed a strange magic coming from him that was not his own. I figured that it was just some lingering magic from the forest, but now I feel like it is much more than that. I'm not surprised you did not sense it, it was a very small amount." He explained, glancing out the window. As everyone attempted to understand this information, Gajeel grunted and moved to exit the room.

"If you want to find him, I suggest you go now. He won't stop running until he passes out." The metal dragon slayer said before leaving the room.

"He's right, Natsu is incredibly stubborn." Erza commented. The group shared a look and nodded before quickly heading to the front of the guild hall.

"Gray!" Makarov called, stopping the ice wizard before he could leave with the others.

"Yeah, Gramps?"

"He needs you." The master said softly. Gray looked down, his hands balled tightly into fists.

"I _will_ be there for him." He assured the master before he ran from the room to catch up with the others. Makarov watched them leave, an uneasy feeling settling in his heart.

/

Natsu ran through the trees, his mind not telling him to do anything but run. He leapt over fallen logs and rocks, ducked under low hanging branches; nothing slowing his sprint. He could not remember how long he had run or how far he had gone, he just knew he had to run. A sudden sharp pain down his spine made him lose his footing, causing the fire wizard to tumble to the ground. The pain was enough to make him cry out briefly, groaning in agony as he writhed on the forest floor. It felt as if a blade was being dragged down his spine, digging deeply into his back. The soft earth behind him was cool against his skin, however, he felt feverishly hot. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he curled up on the ground, panting as the pain slowly faded. A soreness rolled across his back, making all of his muscle ache. With much force, he pushed himself up from the ground and to his feet. Wobbling slightly, he held his head in his hands.

" _Keep going_." A voice whispered in his ear. Natsu immediately dropped his hands and looked around, attempting to find a source for the voice. No one was there, he was alone.

"Where am I going?" he shouted, looking around him. He had ended up in a part of the forest he had never explored; a part where the trees hid the sunlight and everything was dark. Large plants and boulders covered the land where the giant trees were not. He walked a few steps, his legs shaking beneath him.

" _Almost there. Closer. Closer._ " As Natsu walked, he felt the pain in his back return, stronger this time. A haziness clouded his vision as he continued. The pain became a numbness that spread through his body. He stopped walking when a dark figure became clearer in front of him. Something in his body told him now he could stop, and he felt relief. Closing his eyes, Natsu felt his body slowly fall to the side, being caught by something soft but sturdy. Before his mind was turned off from consciousness, he heard the voice that spoke in his head.

" _Welcome home, Natsu_."

/

The group ran through the forest, trying to follow the fading feeling of Natsu's magic. They slowed as they had to make their way around or over boulders and fallen trees, wondering how Natsu got so far so quickly through all of this.

"I lost it." Lucy said abruptly.

"Me too." Gray added, frustration seeping into his tone. Erza cursed under her breath, the group coming to a stop in a small clearing where the sun struggled to reach. Gray looked around, his heart and mind racing. Happy flew around above the trees, trying to spot his best friend.

"The trees are too thick over there, I can't see anything!" he complained, flying down to where the others stood and sitting on Gray's head. The ice wizard looked up at Happy curiously, then sighed and did not bother with telling him to move. He had noticed that whenever Natsu was not around, the blue cat was growing increasingly more comfortable with being around Gray in the same manner as he was with Natsu.

"What do we do now?" Lucy asked, looking from Gray to Erza, a tense look on her face.

"I don't know, but I have a very bad feeling about this." The redhead said, her face serious.

/

Natsu groaned, his body feeling very heavy as he tried to sit up. He felt like he was lying on something; a bed maybe? Opening his eyes, he blinked away the sleepy haze that had previously clouded them.

"Where am I?" he asked, looking around slowly. He was in a simple room, only containing the bed he was in, a nightstand, and a dresser at the opposite end of the room. It was very quiet, which made the pink haired boy uneasy. He stood up from the bed, noticing a mirror as well that was hanging from the back of the door to the room. He looked in the mirror, eyebrows knitting together in confusion. Black lines snaked in odd patterns from his shoulders to his arms, and as he turned, he saw the same on his back. A thick black line trailed all the way along his spine.

"What is this..?" he traced his finger along one of the lines on his other arm, staring at them in the mirror.

"Natsu-ne! Are you awake?" a boy's voice called from behind the door. The dragon slayer thought for a moment that it was Romeo, but this voice sounded like it came from an older boy. Grabbing the door handle, Natsu slowly opened the door. He was greeted by a boy with blue hair that seemed to match Natsu's in a way. It was the same kind of dusted hue of the color that Natsu's was, and was parted on the opposite side. The blue haired boy, appearing to be Natsu's age, gasped in excitement and hugged Natsu tightly around his neck. Natsu breathed in, trying to figure out this other person's scent. It was familiar; very familiar. Natsu moved away from the boy before him, looking at him closely and sniffing the air quietly. The blue haired boy smiled widely, and then Natsu felt his heart skip a beat. He began to smile too, and threw his arms around the other, tears in his eyes.

"Hikaru?!"


End file.
